Device for transporting pianos and the like.



R J. BOWEN. DEVICE FOR TRANSPOHTING PIANOS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION HLED ARR. 2. 917. 1,245,560. Patented Nov. 6, 1917 3SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. J. BOWEN. DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING Pmuos AND THE LLKE.

Patented. Nov. 6, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

APPLIEATIQN Fm APRJ. 1911.

R. L. BOWEN. DEVHJE FOR TRANSPORTING PIANOS ANDVTHE LIKE.

APPLICATION EILED APR.2. I917.

' Patented llov. 6, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

UNITED snares runner i.

ROBERT J. B OVIEN, 0F WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA.

DEVICE FOR TBANSPOR-TING PIANOS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 6,1917.

Application filed April 2, 1917. Serial No. 159,257.

their instruments before prospective pur Chasers because ofthe bulkynatureof such instruments and the difficulty of handling them, anddisplaying and demonstrating them.

The object ofthis invention is to over come these difficulties andinconveniences by providing for easily loading and unloading andtransporting the goods, and, if desirable, displaying and demonstratingthem upon the premises of the prospective purchaser.

To this end, the invention consists in a frame adapted to be mountedupon a vehicle, such as a motor car or truck, and so constructed as tobe capable of being tilted from an upright or vertical to a horizontalposition, or vice versa, and provided with means for controlling thistilting movement, and also with means for adjusting the article fastenedto the frame irrespective of said tilting movement; the frame beingprovided also with means for adjustably and removably securing thearticle thereto, all as I will proceed now to explain and claim.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the severalfigures of which like parts are similarly designated.

Figure 1 is an elevation showing the device applied to a motor vehicle;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device on a larger scale than that ofFig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section taken in the plane of line IV-IVof Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the frame tilted to its verticalposition and having a piano mounted thereupon and carried thereby; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary rear view of the upper part of the frame,showing the means for de'tachably securing a piano or other articlethereto.

The vehicle body 1 is provided on each side with a bearing member 2having an elongated opening 3 to receive the ends of a pivot bar 4mounted preferably in cars 5 attached to the frame of the device. Thisframe is composed primarily of side members 6, an end member 7 and across-frame member 8, and these are all made. of suitable material suchas steel, and are riveted ,or otherwise suitably secured together.Struts and other strengthening elements may be added if desired. Thecross-frame member 8 is provided with longitudinally "slotted pieces 9slid ably mounted thereon, for a purpose presently appearing, andbearing-" pieces or sleeves 10, one on each side, in

which are slidably supported rods 11 having their forward endsscrew-threaded and provided with adjusting nuts 12 which bear againstthe ends of the bearing-pieces 10. The rear ends of these rods areflattened and slidably supported in bearings 13 in the member 7 andtheir extremities are bent at right angles as at 14 to form supports forthe article to be mounted on the frame.

A suitable Windlass comprising a shaft 15 and drums 16 is mounted inbrackets or bearing-pieces 17 attached to the body 1, and the shaft 15is provided with suitable operating means such as a l1and-crank 18 andpawl and ratchet mechanism 19, though it is obvious that power-operatedmechanism may be substituted therefor, if desired.

Bands 20 attached at one end to the drums 16 and at theother ends to theframe, as at 21, are provided for communicating the power of theWindlass to the frame, but it is obvious that cables or ropes might besubstituted for the bands 20 and be equally effective for the purpose.

Hold-down stops 22 are mounted on the body 1 and are adapted tocoiiperate with the forward ends of the side members 6 of the frame tohold it rigidly upon the vehicle body 1 during transportation.

ianos are provided, at the back near the top, with a heavy cross-member,indicated'in dotted lines in Fig. 5 and in full lines in Fig. 6 at 23.and this cross-member 23 is used to attach the piano .to its shippingcrate, when shipped from the factory or elsewhere as is now commonpractice, by passing screws through the back of the crate and embeddingthem in the cross-member 23. I utilize the holesleft in the cross-memberwhen'these screws are withdrawn, for attaching the piano to the frame,by passing a lag or other screw 24, through the slot i ea h of thepieces 9 and driving these screws into the holes. The pieces 9 beingslidably mounted on the cross-frame member, they may be moved to aposition Where their slots Will register with the holes.

The operation of the device is as folloWsFor loading, the frame istilted to its vertical position, as shown in Fig. 5, and by means of thenuts 12 the rods 11 are lowered so that their extremities i i may bemoved beneath. the piano, or the piano he moved to a position over them.Then the back of the piano is forced against the frame and the screws 2dare passed through the slot-ted pieces 9 and driven into thecross-member 23. The nuts 12 are then operated to clamp the ends 14; ofrods 11 against the bottom of the piano or, if desired, "to raise thepiano oil of the ground, this being made possible by the slots in thepieces 9 which allow longitudinal travel of the screws 24. W hen thepiano is satisfactorily adjusted the screws 2% may be further tightened.The Windlass is then operated to tilt the trams, and with it the piano,upon the pivot 4: until the frame and piano rest in a horizontalposition upon the vehicle body 1, the Windlass being n55 ther operatedto draw the frame iiorvvard until it is stopped and held down by theholddown stops 22. The is then ready to be transported. Unloading isaceomplishe' by reversing the foregoing operations. it i is desired todemonstrate the piano on route, it may be adjusted to the verticalposition and played while supported by the frame, or it may be loweredby means of the nuts 12 and rods 11 so as to rest upon the ground butstill be attached to the frame.

Of course the frame may be held in any overhalanced position by means ofthe pawl and ratchet mechanism Although the invention has been explainedas for use with oianos, it is obvious that it is equally applicable fortransporting other heavy articles, and it is to be so understood.

Various changes in details or" construction and arrangement of parts areof course in the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. A device for transporting pianos and the like, comprising a frame,means for ser-uring the piano upon said frame, a pivot on said frame, avehicle body having); slotted hearings with which said pivot cooperatesand means mounted on said vehicle body and cooperating With said framefor tilting said frame upon its pivot. 1

2. A device for transporting pianos and the like, comprising a frame,means i or .'ecuring the piano upon said frame and justinr: it withrelation thereto, a pivot on said frame, a vehicle body having slottedWith which said pivot cooperates, and means mounted on said vehicle bodyand cooperating with said frame for tilting said frame upon its pivot.

8. A device for transporting, displaying and demonstrating" pianos andthe like, COII1- prising a frame having a pivot member mounted inhearings on a vehicle, means for adjustably supporting and securing apiano on said frame including longitudinally adjustable rods, a powerappliance mounted on the vehicle and cooperating with the frame to tiltit on its pivot, and means for holding said frame in fixed relation tothe body of said vehicle for purposes of transportation.

a. A device for transporting pianos and the like, eon1pr.sing a framepivot-ally n'iounted upon a vehicle, said frame compris-- ing sidemembers and end and crossdrame members, hearings on said end andcrossframe members, screw-threaded rods mounted to slide in saidbearings and capable of positive longitudinal adjustment, slottedmembers on said cross-frame members which in conjunction with said rodsprovide for securing a piano or the like upon said frame, a \VlIlCllitSSmounted upon said vehicle and cooperating with said frame to tilt itupon its pivot, and a hold-down. stop on vehi ole adapted to cooperate"with said frame.

A device transporting pianos and the like, comprising a frame, bearingson said frame, screw-threaded rods slidably mounted in said bearings andhaving their rear ends bent to engage a piano or the like, nutscooperating with said screw-threaded rods and said hearings to adjustsaidrods longitudinally, slotted members slidably mounted on said frameand adapted to receive screws for holdino; and adjusting a piano or thelike on said frame in eoopera tion with said rods, a Windlass on saidvehiole having hands attached to "frame 150*. tilting it upon its pivot,and a hold-down stop on said vehicle eoiiperating with said trains tohold it in transporting; "position.

A device for transporting pianos and the like, comprising" "framepivotally mounted upon a vehicle, said frame comprising side members andend and cross-frame members, hearings on said end and crossframemembers, screw-threaded rods mounted to slide in said bearings andcapable of positive longitudinal adjustment, means for securing a pianoor the like upon said frame, a Windlass mounted upon said vehicle andcooperating with said frame to tilt it upon its pivot and hold-down stopon said vehicle adapted to cooperate with said frame.

ll A. device for transporting pianos and the like, comprising a framepivotelly mounted upon a vehicle, said frame comprising side members andend and cross-frame LOG members, bearings on said end and cross- Intestimony whereof I aifix my signature frame members, screw-threadedrods mountin presence of'two Witnesses. ed to slide in said bearings andcapable of positive longitudinal adjustment, means for v v ROBERT J.BOWEN.

securing a piano or the like uponsaid frame, 1 Witnesses: means fortilting said frame and means for F. P. HoLLEMAN, holdin said frame ontothe vehicle; H. W. FoLTz.

